Adobe & Student Privacy

Learn how Adobe complies with laws, regulations and best practices related to the privacy of student data.

Adobe products, apps and services help students communicate their ideas in more engaging ways — so they can make the world take notice. As schools and universities around the globe are confronted with an ever-expanding array of privacy legislation, however, it can be challenging for school administrators to determine whether Adobe solutions comply with local student privacy laws and regulations.

This page is designed to help you understand – in plain language - how the deployment choices you make can impact the student privacy commitments we make to you. We also answer some of the most common student privacy questions we receive in the U.S., the EU and elsewhere.

One Adobe. Two ways to deploy in schools.

The identity solution you choose makes all the difference.

Account Type

Adobe ID

Enterprise or Federated IDs

✓ Account Ownership

Account and content are owned and controlled by the student – not the school.

Better suited to higher education / adult students.

Account and content are owned and controlled by the school – not the student.

13 and up only (age of consent may vary by location). Cannot be used with children under the local age of consent.

Any age allowed as long as the school obtains express parental consent consistent with local laws. With express parental consent, solution can be used consistent with COPPA and relevant EU laws.

✓ Marketing, Analytics and Machine Learning

Depending upon local law, Adobe may market to student, turn on machine learning, or conduct analytics consistent with notice and choice requirements. Learn more.

Marketing, analytics and machine learning are off by default.

✓ Student Privacy Warranties

No student-specific privacy warranties offered.

Adobe contractually agrees to act as a data processor for the school. Any student data gathered is for the use and benefit of the school and used for no other commercial purpose other than operating or improving the products and services the school has licensed.

✓ Security

Adobe provides reasonable administrative, technical, and physical security controls to protect the account-holder’s personal information and content. Learn more about our security program and commitments.

Adobe provides reasonable administrative, technical, and physical security controls to protect the account-holder’s personal information and content. Learn more about our security program and commitments.

✓ FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act)

Adobe cannot agree to act as a ‘school official’ for FERPA purposes as our user agreement is with the individual student, not with the school. However, students receive protections similar to those outlined in FERPA (i.e., Adobe provides commercially reasonable security and will not share student data except at the student’s direction or as outlined in our privacy policy).

As a data processor for the school, Adobe gives schools the tools they need to promptly respond to account data access, correction and deletion requests submitted to them by students or their parents. Schools are empowered to access, correct and delete accounts and stored content.

The Adobe ID account and its content already are owned by the student so it remains theirs after graduation. No need to do anything extra.

The account and its content are owned by the school but Adobe is developing workflows that allow a school to easily transfer the account and its content back to a student after graduation. Stay tuned!

✓ Selling or Sharing Student Data with Third Parties.

We do not sell student data to third parties.

Adobe does work with third party companies that help us run our business. These companies provide services such as delivering customer support, processing credit card payments, and sending emails on our behalf. In some cases, these companies have access to some of your personal information in order to provide services to you on our behalf. They are not permitted to use your information for their own purposes.

We do not sell student data to third parties.

Adobe does work with third party companies that help us run our business. These companies provide services such as delivering customer support, processing credit card payments, and sending emails on our behalf. In some cases, these companies have access to some of your personal information in order to provide services to you on our behalf. They are not permitted to use your information for their own purposes.

✓ Ad Targeting and Student Personal Information

We do not use personal information in student records to target advertising.

We do not use personal information in student records to target advertising.